Multiple filament lamp switch



Jan. 3, 1939. F. A. WILKINS 2,142,430

MULTIPLE FILAMENT LAMP SWITCH Filed June 22, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J771/67? Zor F/e Zcherd h i/lr'ns,

imm flZZor'r/eys Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE5Claims.

This invention relates to controlling means for a multiple filament lampand has for a primary object the incorporation of the switching meanswithin the standard size lamp base so that the lamp may be operated inany standard .socket.

A further primary object of the invention is to provide a switchingmechanism in the position above indicated which may be operated by aflexible cord or chain so as to permit the lamp to be mounted in anyposition within shades and the like so that the fiexible member may beextended from the fixture for remote control if desired withoutinterfering in any way with surrounding members such as the shade.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention. including theunique asembly of the various elements in the association as set forthby the appended claims, will become apparent to those versed in the artin the following description of one particular form of the invention asnow best known to me. Referring to the accom panying drawings whichillustrate the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a lamp embodying the invention with partsin section;

Fig. 2, a detail in enlarged elevation and partial section;

Fig. 3, a base end plan view;

Fig. 4, a transverse section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5, a wiring diagram;

Fig. 6, a detail in transverse section on the line 6-8 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7, a detail in transverse section on the line 11 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 a detail on an enlarged scale on the line I 2-8 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9, a section on the line 9-9 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 10, a section on the line Ill-l in Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews in the drawings.

In the form of the invention herein shown, the lamp I is provided with aplurality of filaments, herein shown as two in number. As an exampleonly and not as a limitation of the range of filament capacities, thelamp may have a filament I8 oi a 100 watt capacity and the otherfilament l1 of 50 watt capacity, whereby the lamp may be operated tohave the 50 watt filament energized alone; the 100 watt filament alone;or both filaments simultaneously to give a 150 watts. In other words,three degrees of illumination may be secured from the two filaments.

These filaments l6 and I1 are supported in the usual and customarymanner by a positioning post It and leads I! and run from the filamentI! together with a third lead 2| from the filament l1 through thesealing tube 22 and out through the base end of the lamp. In thisparticular form, the lead I 9 is also interconnected with one terminaloi the filament 11, the lead 21 being carried from the other filamentterminal. The lamp I5 is evacuated or gas filled in accordance withstandard practice.

Secured to the base end of the lamp IS in any suitable manner, such asby a cement or plastic 23, is an insulating base 24 which iscounterbored at its lamp end to receive the lamp base therewithin. Thisbase 24 is provided with an external cylindrical surface on whichscrewthreads are formed to receive a. ferrule 25 screwthreadedlytherearound. This ferrule 25 is provided with external threadsstandardized to fit the threads of the standard lamp receptacle.Likewise the length of the base 24 and the ferrule 25 therethrough ismade to be such as to be practically fully received within the standardlamp receptacle as is the usual practice.

The base 24 is provided with a chamber 26 within which all of theswitching mechanism is mounted The chamber 26 is preferably rectangularin shape and opens at its base end. A cover 21, made out of any suitableinsulating material, is generaly circular in shape and has a centralboss 28 extending rearwardly to protrude through a circular openingformed centrally within the base end of the ferrule 25, the ferrulebeing fianged over on its base end so as to draw the cover 21compressively against the end of the base 24 when the ferrule 25 isscrewed snugly into position on the base 24. The cover 21 is preferablypinned into position so as to prevent rotation. Dowel pins 29 and"extend from the rear end of the base 24 and fit into holes preferablyspaced in the cover 21. A rivet or screw 2|, as herein shown, extendscentrally through the boss 28 of the cover 21 to engage a conductor bar32 on the inside of the cover 21. This bar 32 is drawn compressivelyagainst the cover 21 and is held against rotation by means of a pin 33extending from the cover 21 and entering a hole in the bar. This bar 32further carries a pair of spaced apart contact fingers 34 and 35 curvingaround from the bar and inwardly within the chamber 28.

An axle 36 extends centrally, transversely across the chamber 26 tocarry a drum 31 thereon. This drum 31 is provided with two annulartracks therearound having a central dividing rib or flange 38 with likeend fianges 39 and 40. The drum 21 is preferably made out of somesuitable insulating material to have the major portion of the contactmembers 43 and 44.

the track of an insulating character. On each track is provided a pairof spaced contact members. Referring to the wiring diagram, Fig. 5,these tracks are shown in developed relation where the left hand trackcarries the contact members 4| and 42. The right hand track carries Thecontact members 42 and 44 are mounted adjacent each other in the twotracks to have the same annular location about the drum. Further, thesecontact members 42 and 44 are of equal length. The other contact members4| and 43 are of equal length, the member 4| being spaced around thetrack from the member 42 and the member 43 being spaced in its track ans-nnular distance away from the member 44 less than the distance of themember 4| from the member 42.

On the inner end or floor of the chamber 26 are mounted a pair ofcontact fingers 45 and 46. These fingers 45 and 46 are fixed in positionby respective ends contacting the fioor of the chamber 26 and have freeends elastically bearing against the drum 31, one finger against eachtrack so as to have the respective contact members 4|, 42 and 43, 44come into wiping contact with these fingers 45 and 46 as the drum isturned. The

upper fingers 34 and 35 which are carried by the bar 32 likewiseelastically bear against the respective drum tracks to be also subjectto wiping contact with these respective contact members. The two' sidesof the contact fingers, however, have their ends spaced apart so thatcircuits may be only opened and closed by means of the contact memberspassing between the fingers to close the circuit and then passing on toopen it.

The filament l6 has its lead l9 carried up through the base 24 andbrought out from a side thereof, Fig. 2,, to come into electricalcontact with the ferrule 25. The lead 26 is brought up through the fioorof the base 24 to connect with the finger 46. The lead 2| of thefilament I1 is brought up through the floor of the chamber 26 and isconnected to the finger 45.

A spring latch finger 41 is secured to the floor of the chamber 26 byone end and has a free end compressively bearing against the center drumrib 38. This rib 38 is provided with a series of spaced notches 48 intowhich the end of the latch 41 will drop as the drum 31 is rotated. It isto be noted that these notches are so formed that the drum 31 may berotated in a clockwise direction, Fig. 10, but held against rotation inthe reversed direction by reason of the end of the latch 41 abutting ashoulder of the notch in each instance.

A flexible member, such as a cord or a chain 49 shown in the presentform, enters through a side of the base 24 ahead of the ferrule 25 andis carried freely through a passageway into the chamber 26 to have itsend secured to a rocker 56 which is essentially a U-shaped member in thenature of a yoke. This yoke 56 has its two legs turned to have the axle36 pass therethrough in a manner which will permit the yoke 56 to rockfreely around the drum 31, the cross-bar between the spring 5| ispositioned and against a shoulder of which recess the pin 52 will striketo limit the movement oi the yoke under the influence of the spring 5|so that the cross-bar of the yoke is normally spaced away from thefingers 34 and 35.

On the outer end of the drum 31 adjacent the spring 5| are a series ofteeth 53 formed outside of the flange 46 and circumferentially aroundthe drum. The yoke 56 carries a pawl 54 which is normally spring pressedby its free end into the path of these teeth 53. The pawl 54 extends inan annular position in the direction of the pull of the chain 49 on theyoke 56 so that when the chain 49 is pulled, the pawl 54 will engageagainst one of the teeth 53 and thereby pull the drum 31 around adistance equal to the permissible travel of the yoke 56, the yoke 56 inthis case being stopped by coming into contact with the sidewall of thechamber 26 as indicated by the dash line position in Fig. 8. When theyoke 56 is pulled to this extreme position, the latch 41 will drop intoa notch 48 and retain the drum against reverse rotation when the chain49 is released to allow the spring 5| to return the yoke '56 to itsnormal initial position.

In operation, it will be assumed that the drum 3! is in an initialposition wherein neither filament |6 nor I1 is energized, that is, thecircuits of both filaments are open. Then the chain 49 may be pulled andreleased. This action will rotate the drum 31 to a position wherein,Figs. 2, 5, 9 and 10, the segment 4| is between both fingers 34 and 45.The latch 41 retains the drum in this position upon the release of thechain 49 while the pawl 54 drags back over the teeth 53 as the yoke 56returns to its normal position under the influence of the spring 5|. thedrum, as will be noted in Fig; 5, a circuit is completed between thehead of the screw 3|, the finger 34, the contact member 4|, the lowerfinger 45, the filament lead 2|, the filament H, the lead I 9, and theferrule 25. This completes the circuit through the smaller or 50 wattfilament alone. In this position of the drum, there is no contact memberbridging the fingers and 46 so that the filament |6 remains in an opencircuit.

The next pull on the chain 49 will rotate the drum 31 to the next notch48 whereby the drum is then held in a position where there are nocontact members bridging either pair of contact fingers. Consequentlyboth filaments l6 and I! are then in open circuits and not energized.Another pull on the chain 49 will rotate the drum 31 one more step tobring the contact member 43 into position to bridge the fingers 35 and46. This position of the drum-then closes a circuit to include thefilament IE only to leave the filament H in an open circuit.

A subsequent pull on the chain 49 will rotate the drum 31 again to thenext notch 48 engagement with the latch 45 to carry the contact member43 on around and leave an open circuit between both sets of fingersagain so as to provide another 0 position for both filaments l6 and I1.

Again pulling the chain 49 will rotate the drum 31 to bring both contactmembers 42 and 44 to bridge the respective fingers 34, 45 and 35, 46. Inthis position of the drum, circuits are closed through both filaments I6and H to give the full I56 watt illumination. The next pull on the chain49 will rotate the drum 31 to remove all contact members from betweenboth sets of fingers so as to leave both filaments again in open In thisposition of circuits. Subsequent pulls on the chain 49 will repeat theabove indicated actions.

It is to be noted that arcing is reduced to a minimum by notching outthe periphery of the drum in the tracks wherein the various fingers rideso as to have the fingers snap oil of the ends of the contact members onthe drum to give a quick, wiping break.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the oneparticular form, it is obvious that structural details may be changedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, donot desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations asmay be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a multiple filament lamp having a base of insulation with a cavitytherein, an insulating cover closing said cavity, an axial terminalextending through the cover, a metallic sleeve ferrule for socketattachment fitting over and secured to said base around that portionthereof including said cavity, a drum rotatably positioned within saidcavity on a transverse shaft, a plurality of electrical contacts spacedone from the other on said drum, upper contact fingers carried by saidcover and each connected with said ter-v minal to extend yieldinglyagainst said drum in the paths of said contacts, lower contact fingersfixed in said cavity to be pressed yieldingly against said drum, wherebysaid drum contacts selectively bridge said upper and lower fingerselectrically with said terminal upon suitable rotation of said drum, aratchet mechanism for rotating the drum, a ratchet operating memberextending from said base below said ferrule, a separate filament beingprovided in said lamp for and in electrical connecnection with each ofsaid lower fingers, and all of said filaments being electricallyconnected with said ferrule, said ratchet operating member consisting ofa mem r within said cavity and rockable on said drum shaft, spring meansnormally holding the member in an initial position, a plurality of teethspaced circumferentially apart r' around a part of said drum, and a pawlcarried by the rockable member in the path of said teeth and springpressed thereagainst, and said ratchet operating member consisting of aflexible pull line fixed to said rockable member and guided 50 throughthe base toward the lamp and then carried outwardly externally of thebase.

2. A multiple filament lamp as defined by claim 1, said rockable memberbeing U-shaped to straddle said drum and engage the drum shaft on eachend of the drum, said pawl being mounted between one leg of the rockablemember and the drum.

3. A multiple filament lamp as defined by claim 1, said drum beingprovided with a plurality of laterally spaced tracks in which saidelectrical contacts are placed, ribs projecting from the drum definingannular walk along the tracks, a plurality of notches in one of saidribs corresponding in number to the total number of on and oiT positionsof the drum, and a latch member mounted in the cavity yieldingly bearingagainst said rib to engage in said notches and retain the drum in arotated position while said rockable member returns to its said initialposition.

4. A multiple filament lamp as defined by claim 1, said drum beingprovided with a plurality of laterally spaced tracks in which saidelectrical contacts are placed, ribs projecting from the drum definingannular walk along the tracks, a plurality of notches in one of saidribs corresponding in number to the total number of on" and oil"positions of the drum, and a latch member mounted in the cavityyieldingly bearing against said rib to engage in said notches and retainthe drum in a rotated position while said rockable member returns to itssaid initial position, and a stop in said cavity limiting rocking ofsaid member when rocked by said line.

5. A multiple filament lamp as defined by claim 1, said drum beingprovided with a plurality of laterally spaced tracks in which saidelectrical contacts are placed, ribs projecting from the drum definingannular wall: along the tracks, a plurality of notches in one of saidribs corresponding in number to the total number of on" and positions ofthe drum, and a latch member mounted in the cavity yieldingly bearingagainst said rib to engage in said notches and retain the drum in arotated position while said rockable member returns to its said initialposition, and a stop in said cavity limiting rocking of said member whenrocked by said line, said contacts being insulated one from the otherand positioned around said tracks to provide open circuits between upperand lower pairs of fingers following each closed circuit position.

FIEI'CHER A. WILKINS.

